1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to agricultural implements, and more particularly to hydraulic load sensing systems of agricultural implements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Farmers utilize a wide variety of implements, including seeding implements such as drills and planters. In a known type of planting implement, seed planting or row units are attached to a toolbar extending transverse to the direction of planting. The toolbar is coupled to a tractor or other work vehicle suitable for pulling the planting implement along a field that is to be seeded to a crop. Each planting unit includes a ground penetrating assembly that shapes the bottom and sides of the seed trench, and a seed metering device provides individual seeds at a controlled rate for deposit in the seed trench. Furrow closing components of each row unit close the seed trench in a controlled manner.
The planter typically will have at least one hydraulic motor to run a fan for the movement of seed and at least one hydraulic seed drive motor, each having a variable hydraulic fluid use. These and other hydraulic fluid using devices on the implement use pressurized hydraulic fluid supplied by the tractor pulling the implement. The tractor may have a hydraulic pump with a variable output capability. The current art includes using hydraulic lines or hoses to communicate the load requirements to a control on the planter. This poses some difficulty to effectively do as the implements have increased in size requiring longer and longer hydraulic lines that have inherent losses and response delays.
What is needed in the art is a more cost effective and quicker response load control system for implements.